TL;DR
- Riot Games reversed the ALL IN mixed-gender format for VCT Game Changers EMEA Series 2 after community backlash
- The decision followed extensive discussions with existing Game Changers teams and social media criticism
- Game Changers was originally designed as women-only tournaments to spotlight female talent
- Community feedback highlighted concerns about diluting the initiative’s core purpose
- ALL IN concept remains part of Riot’s long-term diversity strategy for Valorant
The Valorant Champions Tour Game Changers EMEA Series 2 will maintain its women-only competition format following significant community pushback against proposed changes.
Riot Games officially announced this policy reversal on October 8th after receiving substantial criticism for their initial plan to open the tournament to mixed-gender squads.
“After carefully considering community input and holding deeper conversations with established Game Changers organizations, we’ve determined it’s premature in EMEA’s development cycle to implement the ALL IN tournament model,” Riot stated in their official social media announcement.
#VCTGameChangers EMEA ALL IN update. pic.twitter.com/BsFXURMKDc
— VALORANT Esports EMEA (@vct_emea) October 8, 2021
The Game Changers initiative launched in North American regions during February, establishing dedicated competitive spaces for female Valorant players within the esports landscape.
“Our research revealed that while competitive opportunities for women do exist, we identified critical gaps in connecting talent with appropriate competitive pathways,” explained Matt Nausha, Riot Games’ head of academy programs, during his discussion with WIN.gg. “We view this program as a crucial advancement toward building more diverse and inclusive professional gaming ecosystems.”
Riot initially revealed Game Changers would expand to EMEA territories in early September. However, by October, the company modified their announcement to include mixed-gender teams provided their rosters maintained female-majority composition, branding this approach as the ALL IN tournament framework.
Pro Tip: Understanding tournament format evolution helps competitive players anticipate future structural changes and adapt their team composition strategies accordingly.
The Valorant competitive community expressed widespread dissatisfaction with the proposed format changes. Player opinions diverged significantly regarding the conceptual approach.
Some community members argued that the fundamental purpose involved creating protected competitive environments that highlight female competitive talent, and introducing male participants would undermine this core objective. Conversely, other voices suggested this represented a natural progression in Riot’s broader mission to gradually integrate women into tournaments featuring male competitors.
Ok, respectfully I disagree & here's why: The current goal of women’s tournaments like these is to showcase women’s talent and the eventual goal is to develop women’s talent so women can compete at the t1 level whether it’s as a full female team or mixed (1/?)
— Juna (@Junafour) October 3, 2021
Nah, point of game changers is a starting point for women to get involved with the ultimate goal being complete inclusivity
— Samantha Timms 🇿🇦 (@NaoriMizuki) October 3, 2021
Common Mistake: Many organizations underestimate the importance of maintaining dedicated spaces while simultaneously working toward broader inclusion—these objectives require separate but parallel strategies.
Riot responds to backlash over VCT Game Changers Series 2
Following extensive community criticism regarding male inclusion in Game Changers tournaments, Riot’s development team restructured the competition to preserve its women-only format.
The company extended apologies for disruptions caused to mixed-roster teams that had already completed registration. This determination resulted from comprehensive community input and consultations with Game Changers partner organizations. The community widely praised Riot for demonstrating responsiveness to Valorant player feedback.
Riot clarified, however, that ALL IN tournament concepts remain part of their future strategic planning.
“Our commitment to developing a diverse Valorant competitive ecosystem continues unchanged. We maintain strong belief in the ALL IN philosophy and intend to reexamine its implementation in coming competitive seasons,” Riot confirmed.
The development team committed to collaborating closely with competitive Valorant stakeholders to refine the ALL IN concept, implementing it through more considerate and effective methodologies. Advanced Insight: Successful format transitions typically require 2-3 competitive seasons of gradual implementation and community education to achieve acceptance.
Action Checklist
- Monitor official Riot Games esports channels for format announcement updates
- Participate in community discussions through official Valorant forums and social media
- Review tournament rulebooks thoroughly before team registration
- Engage with Game Changers team representatives to understand format implications
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Riot reverts VCT Game Changers EMEA event to allow only women Riot Games reverses ALL IN format decision for VCT Game Changers EMEA Series 2 following community feedback